Wrecked

Under a clouded sky I walked the shore
Tossing errant starfish against the wind
The soft crush of sand beneath my boots

At first all I saw was a wet mound
‘Til she lifted her head and seaweed
Tumbled down in waves around her gills

She lay in a small pool of water
Caught between land and the receding tide
Heavy, I lifted her, rough scales chaffing

An eternity before we were deep enough
And in a movement, she kissed me and slid free
This is how I came by the scar on my lip

Nico Mara-McKay is a writer living in Toronto, Ontario, whose work has appeared in numerous journals, most recently in The Antigonish Review, Broken Pencil and Carousel. Nico can be found online at nicomaramckay.com and on Twitter @plutopsyche.